Manly Sea Eagles v St George/Illawarra Dragons: NRL Thursday Preview

Manly Sea Eagles and St George/Illawarra Dragons get the chance to boost their top-eight chances on Thursday night when they clash at 4 Pines Park.

The Sea Eagles have won three and lost three so far this season, while the Dragons have won two and lost three.

Manly hold eighth spot on the ladder heading into Round 7, while the Dragons are two spots below them, but are also on six points due to the bye.

Just two points separate both teams from the Broncos in third spot, so the ladder is tight at this early stage of the campaign.

A win for either could see them make a significant jump up the ladder, so there is plenty at stake on Thursday night.

Manly Sea Eagles v St George/Illawarra Dragons betting preview

Sea Eagles out to halt slide

Manly had been looking in good touch following back-to-back wins against the Eels and Raiders, but back-to-back defeats have slowed them down.

Following a heavy home defeat against Melbourne Storm, they slipped to a six-point loss at the Sharks in Round 6.

Back at 4 Pines Park, nothing less than a victory will do for the Sea Eagles.

The last time they met at the venue in July 2024, the Sea Eagles won by 16 points and would no doubt take the same again.

They can be backed at 2.90 to win by 13+ points.

Coping with Tom Trbojevic continues to be an issue for the Sea Eagles, but in Reuben Garrick they do have the NRL’s current leading points scorer in their ranks.

They will also look to influential skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, who picked up a try in the defeat to the Sharks.

Dragons on the up

Despite losing their opening two games of the season, the Dragons bounced back to win two of the next three and look to be a side making progress.

The shock 14-8 win over the Storm got them up and running, while they smashed the Titan 38-16 at the weekend.

Christian Tuipuloto grabbed a couple of tries in that win and now has seven tries in the last five NRL games.

He will be one to watch against the Sea Eagles as he looks to keep that impressive form going.

Overall the Dragons do have a good record against Manly, but they do not have great success at 4 Pines Park.

They have won six out of 15 visits to the venue and it will take a big effort to make it number seven.

But they will be feeling good after the Titans win and are priced at 3.60 to win by 1-12 points.

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Manly Sea Eagles v St George/Illawarra Dragons odds

Manly Sea Eagles - 1.60
St George/Illawarra Dragons - 2.35

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.